Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Often, when a new mother is suffering with PPD, she has a great support system of family, friends, and professionals. This is ideal. However, sometimes her partner is left feeling out in the cold. He suddenly has this new partner that he doesn't recognize or understand. He can wonder, "will I ever have my wife back?" We all expect that a new baby will bring certain changes. Often, though, we are unprepared for the actual changes that come with pregnancy and childbirth.
It is common for a man to feel that he needs to help, and wants to fix the problem. While this is a normal reaction, it is important to remember that this is not something he is capable of fixing. The best thing he can do is to offer support. Common mistakes that a partner can make in this situation are to expect his wife to just "snap out of it," to tell her she has so much to be thankful for, why is she so upset? Or to tell her things like, "you know what your problem is...?"- these kinds of statements imply that his partner has control over how she is feeling, which people who are clinically depressed do not, and they also imply that the depression is somehow her fault, which of course, it is not.
The best thing a partner can do in this situation is to just support his wife and their new baby. Try not to have any expectations. Try to understand that she is not feeling like this on purpose, and there is nothing that can be done in the immediate future to bring her out of it. Hopefully, she has a therapist that she is seeing, and perhaps as her partner, you could also see the same therapist, who could help to provide some understanding of how the new mother is feeling.
Understand that she may not be getting the rest that she needs, so any time that the mother has opportunity for rest or sleep, she should be taking it. Work around the house can either wait for later, or be done by the husband or someone else. Cooking is not something that she may be capable of, so ordering out for a while may be a solution. Shopping can be done by the partner or family members.
The biggest thing that a partner needs to remember is to be patient. This is a temporary situation. Eventually, with help from friends and family and professionals (and perhaps medication), he will begin to recognize his partner again. PPD is not a permanent condition. Patience, support, acceptance, and love will go a long way toward helping a new mother heal from depression.

Some symptoms of depression, like sadness, are obvious. Most people think of a depressed person as being sad. But what about a person who isn't sleeping? Or who can't seem to stop moving? Would they typically be looked at as a depressed person? How about a person who is detached, argumentative, or who has lost a lot of weight suddenly? In my case, I did not fit what my Obstetrician thought of as "depressed," so she did not think I had a problem. Awareness is something that is so important, not just for the OB/GYN, but nursing staff, family members, and friends. I have included a checklist of symptoms taken from several sources in hopes of increasing self-awareness of depression.

1) Do you feel more tired than usual?

2) Are you crying often, seemingly for no apparent reason?

3) Do you notice that you are having trouble concentrating?

4) Have you lost interest in things that used to make you happy?

5) Do you feel guilty?

6) Do you feel anxious, or panicky?

7) Are you feeling bonded to your baby?

8) Are you having recurring nightmares, or flashbacks?

9) Do you feel anger toward the baby, your partner, or family members?

10) Are you calling the pediatrician often, yet not being reassured by his or her advice?

11) Do you feel restless?

12) Are you unable to sleep, or are you sleeping more than usual?

13) Do you have recurring, intrusive thoughts about harming your baby, or of some kind of harm coming to your baby?

17) Are you avoiding certain places, television programs, news, or situations in order to avoid intrusive thoughts of feelings?

18) Are you very preoccupied with thoughts of germs or cleanliness?

19) Do you feel restless, unable to relax?

20) Do you feel a sense of emptiness or despair?

Any of the above symptoms are cause for further evaluation. If you or a family member or friend has just had a baby, or had a baby in the last year (people tend to think of PPD as happening immediately after birth, but often, it shows up later, sometimes as late as many months or a year after the birth), and if any of the above sound familiar, please check into it further. I have included links to local organizations that have referrals to therapists who specialize in PPD. Another alternative is to ask your healthcare provider, whether you see an OB/GYN or a midwife, this person should have a list of therapists in the area that specialize in PPD, and should be able to refer you to someone who can help.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Once I started on medication, I felt much better. Therapy was going well, I was learning tools to keep myself feeling better, and I was taking good care of myself. I started to wonder if I really needed the medication at all. As a result of my hospital experience, I was not enthusiastic about doctors or medication. I have always been interested in natural health, and I started to research alternative methods of dealing with postpartum depression.
One website that I had discovered over the first year in dealing with PPD was Mothering.com. Mothering also used to be a magazine, but they have switched completely to an online format. There is a forum section that has open discussions on everything from finding a pediatrician or food co-op in your area to vaccines, postpartum depression and PTSD, to pets and poetry. I found the mental health forum to be very helpful.
It was here that I started researching alternative ways to deal with depression. Fish oil was something that I discovered very early on, and started taking right away, with the blessing of my doctor even while I was taking the zoloft. I noticed a big difference in my ability to deal with stress after taking the fish oil. I started with 1000 mg a day, and slowly went up to 2000. I stopped there, but many people will take 3000 mg or more. Fish oil does have blood thinning effects, though, and it should not be taking close to any surgeries.
Another supplement with which I had success was vitamin B complex. Vitamin B is very helpful for any type of stress. It helps with anxiety, depression, and low energy. One has to be careful not to take it late in the day, though, or insomnia may be a problem.
Something else that anyone who is suffering from PPD should do is to get their thyroid and progesterone levels checked. Pregnancy, especially from the second pregnancy on, can deplete the thyroid. Also, pregnancy and breastfeeding have an effect on progesterone levels. This is something that should be checked as a matter of routine, even before starting antidepressants for PPD.
St. John's Wort is also a very popular supplement for depression. It should never be taken concurrently with antidepressants, though, due to the danger of something called serotonin syndrome. Too much serotonin in the body can cause problems, even death. One needs to be careful when taking drugs that increase serotonin. Only take ONE serotonin enhancing drug at a time. If taking an ssri, do not start St. John's Wort, and vice versa.
Exercise, though not really considered an "alternative" therapy, is something that increases overall wellbeing, energy, and mood. Regular physical activity is an effective weapon against depression. The problem with it is that someone who is depressed often does not have the motivation to get themselves moving. This is why the "light in the room" effect of medication is so helpful for many people.
Acupuncture is another alternative that many women choose, and it has been proven to be helpful in some cases. The thinking with acupuncture being that it opens up energy pathways in the body and brain, allowing life energy to flow more easily and the person is able to function better. I did try acupuncture, and I was amazed at the effect on my energy level after treatment.
Reiki is a form of energy healing that is also very effective, based on my personal experience. In Reiki, the practitioner uses their hands to bring good energy to the patient, feeling for places that need a change of energy and allowing positive healing energy to flow through them, in to the patient. I have had several Reiki sessions and found them to be very beneficial. There have been studies done in hospital settings that show that surgery patients heal better when Reiki is included as part of their recovery.
There is also a form of Yoga, called Life Force Yoga, that is proven to help with mild to moderate depression, anxiety, and perimenopausal mood changes. I have included a link on the Helpful Links page to a practitioner of Life Force Yoga in the Chicagoland area. Yoga appeals to me for so many reasons, and it has been something I have used in my recovery from PPD as well as for overall wellness.

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About Me

I am a mom who has experienced Postpartum Depression and PTSD as a result of traumatic childbirth. I would like to help other moms in this situation to find their way back from PPD and PTSD. I will post about natural and alternative treatments, as well as conventional medical treatments, and my experience with both.